The Kids Are All Right Is Must-See Film for Rainbow Families

For rainbow families—as well as anyone else GLBT or straight—The Kids Are All Right, directed by Lisa Cholodenko (High Art and Laurel Canyon), and written by Stuart Blumberg and her, is a must-see film. The title derives from the song “The Kids Are Alright” by The Who.

At the beginning of the movie, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a middle-aged lesbian couple who have been together since at least the early 1990s. They have two teenaged children by artificial insemination: daughter Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and son Laser (Josh Hutcherson). The family’s seemingly placid existence is disturbed when the kids contact their sperm-donor father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Not to be a spoiler, let’s just say that all hell breaks loose!

Throughout, The Kids Are All Right alternates between hilarious comedy and poignant drama. All the acting is superb, particularly Bening as Nic, an uptight medical professional who finds her comfortable existence transgressed by Paul’s role in the family’s life.

By the end of the film, you’re not sure if you’ve just seen a romantic comedy or a family drama. Nonetheless, it’s a great cinematic treat.

The Kids Are All Right now is screening locally.